Infant mortality and social stratification: subsidies for the development of health policies

The rates of infant mortality under one year of age have experienced a sharp drop in Brazil. Nevertheless, the index is still considerable, especially in some geographic regions. Considering that Brazil is a signatory of the Millennium Goals and the reduction of child mortality is a priority item of health policies of the government of Paraná, this study aimed to generate information to implement these policies at the regional level. Infant mortality and its causal determinants, related to 2011, was analyzed in the seven municipalities that comprise the 21th Regional of Health, in the central region of Paraná state. The results indicated that, even with a reduction in the regional level, some municipalities remained high, especially those with the lowest rate of development. The highest incidence
of infant mortality occurred in specific population strata, related to age, ethnicity, education level and income of mothers. This study also evaluated the impact of some social determinants of health in the occurrence of infant mortality.